Container Raising/Lowering Conveyance Apparatus

ABSTRACT

A container raising/lowering conveyance apparatus including four gripping raising/lowering bodies capable of being respectively horizontally fitted to and detached from four corners of an article-conveyance container is configured such that, in a planar view, central raising/lowering link members capable of being raised and lowered are disposed at central positions of respective edges of a right-angled parallelogram surrounded by the four gripping raising/lowering bodies, and each of the central raising/lowering link members and the gripping raising/lowering bodies at both sides thereof are coupled to each other by at least one pair of upper and lower rocking parallel links capable of rocking in the vertical direction.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a conveyance apparatus that lifts andconveys a stackable, article-conveyance box-type container with aright-angled parallelogram planar shape.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As an example of a conveyance apparatus capable of raising/lowering andconveying a box-type container, there is known, for example, a containerraising/lowering conveyance apparatus where, as described in JapanesePublished Unexamined Patent Application No. H06-115608 (PatentLiterature 1), a raising/lowering body is provided that is suspendedfrom a ceiling traveling crane type traveling body so as to be capableof being raised and lowered and container suspending hooks are providedso as to be capable of opening and closing at a lower side of theraising/lowering body. With this conveyance apparatus, engaged metalfittings, capable of being engaged with and disengaged from thecontainer suspending hooks, are protruded at a ceiling surface of acontainer or a gap, with and from which the container suspending hookscan engage and disengage, is secured below a bottom surface of thecontainer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With the configuration described in Japanese Published Unexamined PatentApplication No. H06-115608(Patent Literature 1) mentioned above, aprerequisite is that engaged metal fittings specialized for suspensionare protruded from a ceiling surface of a container, which is theconveyed object, or a gap is formed below a bottom surface of thecontainer, and a compact plastic container with an open upper side thatcan be lifted up and carried with both hands cannot be used as it is asthe conveyed object. As a matter of course, a generally distributedplastic container has a reinforcing flange portion formed integrally andcontinuously in parallel to a peripheral direction mainly at an upperend side of its outer side surface as a reinforcing measure, andalthough a generally distributed compact plastic container such asmentioned above with an open upper side can thus be made an object ofconveyance by using the suspending hooks in a manner of hooking onto theflange portion at two parallel side surfaces of the container, this typeof container is frequently used in a state where a plurality ofcontainers of the same planar size are stacked. In a case where suchstacked containers are to be lifted and conveyed by the suspending hooksengaged with a flange portion of a container at a lowest stage of thestacked containers, the larger the number of containers stacked, themore unstable and the more difficult it is to perform conveying safely.

The present invention proposes a container raising/lowering conveyanceapparatus capable of being utilized to solve the problems of theconventional art such as the above, and to describe by providingreference symbols in parentheses used in the description of embodimentsbelow to facilitate understanding the relationship with the embodiments,the container raising/lowering conveyance apparatus according to thepresent invention has, in a container raising/lowering conveyanceapparatus that includes four gripping raising/lowering bodies (45 a to46 b) capable of being respectively horizontally fitted to and detachedfrom four corners of an article-conveyance container (C), aconfiguration where central raising/lowering link members (82 and 88),capable of being raised and lowered, are disposed at central positionsof respective edges of a right-angled parallelogram surrounded by thefour gripping raising/lowering bodies (45 a to 46 b) in a planar view,and each of the central raising/lowering link members (82 and 88) andthe gripping raising/lowering bodies (45 a to 46 b) at both sidesthereof are coupled to each other by at least one pair of upper andlower rocking parallel links (83 a to 84 a and 89 a to 90 b) capable ofrocking in the vertical direction.

The four gripping raising/lowering bodies in the containerraising/lowering conveyance apparatus of the configuration describedabove are supported by a supporting structure, capable of horizontalfitting and detaching operations with respect to the four corners of thecontainer and raising/lowering operations, and by using, as thesupporting structure, a traveling body capable of traveling through or amovable arm rockable horizontally in a space above a container to behandled, the container raising/lowering conveyance apparatus of theabove configuration can be utilized as a container conveyance meanscapable of moving and lowering a gripped and lifted container to andonto another location in accompaniment with operation of the travelingbody or the movable arm. Also, a usage method is possible where thesupporting structure is installed over a fixed position, a containerconveyed by a conveying traveling body to the fixed position below thesupporting structure is lifted once, and the container is then loweredonto another conveying traveling body sent to the fixed position.Further, although to enable the container to be lifted by upwardmovement in a state where the four gripping raising/lowering bodies ofthe present invention are fitted to the container corners, a means ofpreventing downward slipping movement of the container, such as anelastic material, an uneven surface, or a pin-shaped supportingimplement capable of extending and retracting, etc., may be provided ateach of portions being fitted to the container corners and aconfiguration may thereby be provided where the container to be conveyedcan be lifted and conveyed by just the four gripping raising/loweringbodies, it is preferable that the four gripping raising/lowering bodiesbe used in particular as means for gripping an entirety of stackedcontainers from the periphery and holding it in a vertical orientationand to separately use in combination a lifting raising/lowering body bywhich at least a container of a lowest stage among the containersgripped by the four gripping raising/lowering bodies is lifted byutilizing a flange portion, etc., of a periphery of the container.

With any usage method, the four gripping raising/lowering bodies arelowered to a level of being fitted to the four corners of the containerto be conveyed and thereafter moved horizontally closer to each other tofit the respective gripping raising/lowering bodies to the four cornersof the container to be conveyed, and therefore the locations at whichthe respective gripping raising/lowering bodies grip the container arelargely separated downward from the parts of the grippingraising/lowering bodies supported by the supporting structure.Therefore, when the respective gripping raising/lowering bodies grip thecontainer, reaction forces of this action may cause the respectivegripping raising/lowering bodies to deflect horizontally outward,thereby decreasing forces of gripping the container corners.

However, with the configuration of the present invention describedabove, the gripping raising/lowering bodies that are adjacent each otheralong each side surface of the gripped container are coupled to eachother via the central raising/lowering link member at an intermediateposition between the gripping raising/lowering bodies and the at leastone pair of upper and lower rocking parallel links so that regardless ofhorizontal movements of the gripping raising/lowering bodies closer toand away from each other, all gripping raising/lowering bodies areconstantly kept in mutually parallel vertical orientations and thereforeduring the operation in which the respective gripping raising/loweringbodies grip the container, the parts of the gripping raising/loweringbodies at which the container is gripped do not become tilted so asspread outward and the container corners can be gripped reliably by therespective gripping raising/lowering bodies. In other words, incomparison to a case of avoiding the abovementioned problem byincreasing a bending strength of each gripping raising/lowering body,the respective gripping raising/lowering bodies can be made lightweightand reduced in cost and consequently, a load acting on a drive means formaking the respective gripping raising/lowering bodies move horizontallycloser to and away from each other can be lightened as well.

In implementing the container raising/lowering conveyance apparatusaccording to the present invention described above, a configuration maybe provided such that in a state where the gripping raising/loweringbodies (45 a to 46 b) at both sides coupled to the centralraising/lowering link members (82 and 88) are separated furthest fromeach other, the rocking parallel links (83 a to 84 b and 89 a to 90 b)are inclined obliquely upward from the corresponding centralraising/lowering link members (82 and 88) toward the grippingraising/lowering bodies (45 a to 46 b) at both sides. With thisconfiguration, gravity acting on each central raising/linking memberacts to draw the gripping raising/lowering bodies at both sides inwardtoward each other, making the container gripping actions of the fourgripping raising/lowering bodies even more reliable.

Also, a supporting structure (secondary traveling body (3)) may beprovided with an X-direction pair of main movable bases (21 a and 21 b),capable of moving closer to and away from each other in an X direction,among the X direction and a Y direction that are parallel to mutuallyperpendicular side edges of a right-angled parallelogram surrounded bythe four gripping raising/lowering bodies (45 a to 46 b) in a planarview, the main movable bases (21 a and 21 b) may be providedrespectively with Y-direction pairs of secondary movable bases (30 a to31 b) capable of being moved closer to and away from each other in the Ydirection, the four gripping raising/lowering bodies (45 a to 46 b) maybe respectively and separately supported by the four secondary movablebases (30 a to 31 b) so as to be capable of being raised and lowered,the central raising/lowering link members (88), positioned centrallybetween respective Y-direction pairs of gripping raising/lowering bodies(the pair 45 a and 45 b and the pair 46 a and 46 b), may be supported,so as to be capable of being raised and lowered, by vertical rod-shapedmain bodies (66), which are supported by the respective main movablebases (21 a and 21 b) so as to be capable of being raised and lowered,upper end portions of the vertical rod-shaped main bodies (66) and upperend portions of the Y-direction pairs of gripping raising/loweringbodies (the pair 45 a and 45 b and the pair 46 a and 46 b) at both sidesof the vertical rod-shaped main bodies (66) may be coupled by couplingmeans (51A and 51B), which allow the Y-direction pairs of grippingraising/lowering bodies (the pair 45 a and 45 b and the pair 46 a and 46b) to be moved closer to and away from each other in the Y direction,and the respective main movable bases (21 a and 21 b) may be providedwith raising/lowering drive means (57A and 57B) that drive the raisingand lowering of the X-direction pair of the vertical rod-shaped mainbodies (66) supported by the respective main movable bases (21 a and 21b).

With the present configuration, instead of making the four grippingraising/lowering bodies, which change in position in both the X and Ydirections, be driven to be raised and lowered respectively andseparately, it suffices that the vertical rod-shaped main bodies, whichare capable of just being raised and lowered by the two X-direction mainmovable bases, are driven to be raised and lowered with respect to themain movable bases by the raising/lowering drive means installed on themain movable bases, and therefore the structure is made simple andimplementation at low cost is made possible. Moreover, that whichtransmits the raising/lowering motion of each vertical rod-shaped mainbody to the gripping raising/lowering bodies at both sides thereof isthe coupling means coupling the upper end portions of the verticalrod-shaped main body and the gripping raising/lowering bodies at bothsides thereof to each other, and therefore an entire length of eachgripping raising/lowering body can be put to use to grip the container,and each gripping raising/lowering body is thus supported at the twoparts of the part supported by the secondary movable base so as to becapable of being raised and lowered and the upper end portion coupledvia the coupling means to the corresponding vertical rod-shaped mainbody so that even a gripping raising/lowering body of long length can bemade to operate with good stability, and each of the vertical rod-shapedmain bodies required to provide such an effect can be used as araising/lowering guide column of the central raising/lowering linkmember of a parallel link mechanism coupling the grippingraising/lowering bodies at both sides of the vertical rod-shaped mainbody to each other, and the function of keeping the grippingraising/lowering bodies in the vertical parallel orientations can thusbe improved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a storage facility.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the same storage facility.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the same storage facility.

FIG. 4A is a partially cutaway rear view showing main movable bases onthe secondary traveling body, and FIG. 4B is a side view thereof.

FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway plan view showing the main traveling body.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the secondary traveling body on the maintraveling body.

FIG. 7A is a front view showing the secondary traveling body, and FIG.7B is a partial longitudinal sectional view showing the same secondarytraveling body.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a detailed structure on the secondarytraveling body.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing an X-direction pair of main movable basessupported on the secondary traveling body.

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the X-direction pair of main movablebases with a Y-direction pair of secondary movable bases supported oneach of the main movable bases.

FIG. 11A is a partially cutaway front view showing an X-direction drivemeans driving the main movable bases, and FIG. 11B is a front viewshowing raising/lowering drive means provided at the main movable bases.

FIG. 12 is a side view showing a Y-direction drive means driving thesecondary movable bases.

FIG. 13 is a side view showing the secondary movable bases and theraising/lowering drive means supported at the main movable base at oneside.

FIG. 14 is a plan view showing a support structure of four grippingraising/lowering bodies.

FIG. 15 is a partial transverse sectional plan view of a state where thefour gripping raising/lowering bodies are brought closest to a center ofa container gripping area.

FIG. 16 is a front view showing a state where an X-direction pair ofgripping raising/lowering bodies are separated furthest from each other.

FIG. 17 is a front view showing a state where the X-direction pair ofgripping raising/lowering bodies are brought closest to each other.

FIG. 18 is a side view showing a Y-direction pair of grippingraising/lowering bodies in a state of being separated furthest and alifting raising/lowering body at an intermediate position thereof.

FIG. 19 is a side view showing the Y-direction pair of grippingraising/lowering bodies in a state of being brought closest together andthe lifting raising/lowering body at the intermediate position thereof.

FIG. 20A is a partial transverse sectional plan view showing a statewhere the four gripping raising/lowering bodies and the X-direction pairof lifting raising/lowering bodies are separated furthest from eachother, and FIG. 20B is a partial transverse sectional plan view showinga state where the four gripping raising/lowering bodies and theX-direction pair of lifting raising/lowering bodies are brought closestto each other.

FIG. 21A is a partial longitudinal sectional front view showing a singlelifting raising/lowering body and a single gripping raising/loweringbody at the same side, and FIG. 21B is a partial longitudinal sectionalfront view showing another single lifting raising/lowering body and asingle gripping raising/lowering body at the same side.

FIG. 22A is an enlarged front view showing a lower side support unitincluded in a lifting raising/lowering body, FIG. 22B is a side view ofthe same, FIG. 22C is a transverse sectional plan view of the same, andFIG. 22D is an enlarged longitudinal sectional side view of essentialparts of the same.

FIG. 23 is a partial transverse sectional plan view showing a statewhere a container is gripped and raised/lowered by the four grippingraising/lowering bodies and the X-direction pair of liftingraising/lowering bodies.

FIG. 24 is a longitudinal sectional front view for describing actions ofthe lifting raising/lowering bodies with respect to the container withthe left half showing a state immediately before the container is liftedup and the right half showing a state immediately after the container islifted up.

FIG. 25 is a partially cutaway, partial longitudinal sectional side viewshowing a state where the container is lifted and conveyed by thelifting raising/lowering bodies.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, 1 is a ceiling traveling crane type conveyanceapparatus and is installed at an upper side of a storage area configuredwith a flat floor surface with a right-angled parallelogram planarshape. The conveyance apparatus 1 includes a main traveling body 2capable of traveling in a Y direction (front/rear depth direction) on ahorizontal plane and a secondary traveling body 3 supported above themain traveling body 2 in a manner enabling travel in a horizontallyoriented X direction (right/left width direction) at a right angle tothe travel direction of the main traveling body 2. A rectangular framestructure 4, surrounding the storage area, is horizontally installedover the storage area at a fixed height above the floor surface viacolumn members 5, and respective end portions of the main traveling body2 are supported, in a manner enabling traveling in the Y direction, on aset of beam members 4 a and 4 b of the rectangular frame structure 4that are parallel to the Y direction. The main traveling body 2 has apair of side frames 2 a and 2 b, with a length spanning an entire lengthin the X direction, aligned in parallel across a suitable interval inits travel direction (Y direction), and respective side edges of thesecondary traveling body 3 are supported, in a manner enabling travelingin the X direction, on the respective side frames 2 a and 2 b.

A storage conveyor 6 and a retrieval conveyor 7 are juxtaposed to thestorage area. Transferring end portions 6 a and 7 a at the storage areasides of the respective conveyors 6 and 7 enter inside the storage area,and by Y-direction traveling of the main traveling body 2 on the beammembers 4 a and 4 b of the rectangular frame structure 4 and X-directiontraveling of the secondary traveling body 3 on the side frames 2 a and 2b of the main traveling body 2, the secondary traveling body 3 can bepositioned directly above any position of an entire area inside thestorage area surrounded by the rectangular frame structure 4, includingthe transferring end portions 6 a and 7 a of the storage and retrievalconveyors 6 and 7.

As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the main travel body 2 has carriageportions 8 a and 8 b supported on the beam members 4 a and 4 b in amanner enabling movement in a length direction of the beam members 4 aand 4 b, the pair of side frames 2 a and 2 b are supported on thecarriage portions 8 a and 8 b, and each of the carriage portions 8 a and8 b is provided with a plurality of wheels 9 that roll on thecorresponding beam member 4 a or 4 b and positioning rollers 10sandwiching the beam member 4 a or 4 b from both right and left sides.At the respective beam members 4 a and 4 b, timing belts 11 a and 11 bare stretched in a manner enabling rotation along the beam members 4 aand 4 b, each of the timing belts 11 a and 11 b has both ends thereoffastened to the corresponding carriage portion 8 a or 8 b, and with eachof the timing belts 11 a and 11 b, one of pulleys that stretch it isinterlockingly coupled to a single motor 13 via a transmission shaft 12to provide a configuration where both timing belts 11 a and 11 b aredriven to rotate in synchronization by the motor 13 to move the maintraveling body 2 reciprocally in parallel to the Y direction.

At the side frame 2 a at one side of the main traveling body 2, a timingbelt 14 is stretched in a manner enabling rotation along the side frame2 a and a motor 15 that drives the timing belt 14 to rotate isjuxtaposed. As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the secondary travel body 3is configured from a pair of side frames 3 a and 3 b, disposed inparallel to the side frames 2 a and 2 b of the main traveling body 2 atan upper side of the side frames 2 a and 2 b, and a pair of couplingframes 3 c and 3 d, coupling and integrating both side frames 3 a and 3b to each other, a plurality of wheels 16, rolling on the side frames 2a and 2 b of the main traveling body 2, are pivotally supported at theside frames 3 a and 3 b, and bearing plates 18 a and 18 b, eachpivotally supporting a pair of rollers 17 that sandwich the side frame 2a of the main traveling body 2, are attached at positions nearrespective ends of the side frame 3 a at one side. Respective ends ofthe timing belts 14 are fastened to the bearing plates 18 a and 18 b andby driving the timing belt 14 to rotate by means of the motor 15, thesecondary traveling body 3 can be moved reciprocally in the X direction.

With the above configuration, by a combination of putting the motor 13in operation to move the main traveling body 2 in the Y direction andputting the motor 15, on the main traveling body 2, in operation to movethe secondary traveling body 3 in the X direction on the main travelingbody 2, the secondary traveling body 3 can be positioned directly aboveany position of the storage area of rectangular planar shape surroundedby the rectangular frame structure 4.

As shown in FIG. 8 to FIG. 10, the secondary traveling body 3 has a pairof main movable bases 21 a and 21 b, made capable of moving closer toand away from each other in the X direction, installed via guide rails20 a and 20 b attached on the side frames 3 a and 3 b and slide blocks19 a and 19 b fitted to the guide rails 20 a and 20 b and has juxtaposedthereto an X-direction drive means 22 for moving the pair of mainmovable bases 21 a and 21 b closer to and away from each other insynchronization in the X direction. The X-direction drive means 22 isconfigured from a pair of timing belts 23 a and 23 b, stretched at outersides of the side frames 3 a and 3 b of the secondary traveling body 3in a manner enabling rotation along the side frames 3 a and 3 b, and amotor 26, interlockingly coupled to both timing belts 23 a and 23 b viaa transmission shaft 24 and a belt transmission means 25 and installedon the secondary traveling body 3, and upper-side path portions of therespective timing belts 23 a and 23 b are coupled via coupling members27 a and 27 b to respective ends of one main movable base 21 a andlower-side path portions of the respective timing belts 23 a and 23 bare coupled via coupling members 28 a and 28 b to respective ends of theother main movable base 21 b. With the thus configured X-direction drivemeans 22, the pair of main movable bases 21 a and 21 b can be movedcloser to each other by driving both timing belts 23 a and 23 b torotate forward by the motor 26 and the pair of main movable bases 21 aand 21 b can be moved away from each other by driving both timing belts23 a and 23 b to rotate in reverse by the motor 26.

As shown in FIG. 10 to FIG. 12, on each of the pair of main movablebases 21 a and 21 b, a pair of secondary movable bases 30 a and 30 b or31 a and 31 b, which are movable in the Y direction, are provided via aguide rail 29 a or 29 b laid in parallel to the Y direction on the mainmovable base 21 a or 21 b. Among the secondary movable bases 30 a to 31b, the X-direction pair of secondary movable bases 30 a and 31 b thatare positioned at the same side in the Y direction are supported in amanner enabling movement in the X direction on an interlockingrod-shaped body 32 a, disposed in parallel to the X direction at anouter side of the secondary movable bases 30 a and 31 b, via guide rail33 a, laid at the interlocking rod-shaped body 32 a, and slide blocks 34a and 35 a fitted to the guide rail 33 a, and the other X-direction pairof secondary movable bases 30 b and 31 a are supported in a mannerenabling movement in the X direction on an interlocking rod-shaped body32 b, disposed in parallel to the X direction at an outer side of thesecondary movable bases 30 b and 31 a, via guide rail 33 b, laid at theinterlocking rod-shaped body 32 b, and slide blocks 34 b and 35 b fittedto the guide rail 33 b.

The pair of interlocking rod-shaped bodies 32 a and 32 b are movedcloser to and away from each other in the Y direction by a Y-directiondrive means 36. The Y-direction drive means 36 is configured from a pairof timing belts 37 a and 37 b, stretched in parallel to the secondarytraveling body 3 and the Y direction at outer sides of the pair ofinterlocking rod-shaped bodies 32 a and 32 b, and a motor 40 drivingboth timing belts 37 a and 37 b to rotate via a transmission shaft 38and a belt transmission means 39 and installed on the secondarytraveling body 3. Upper-side path portions of the timing belts 37 a and37 b are coupled via coupling members 41 a and 41 b to respective endsof one coupling rod-shaped body 32 a and lower-side path portions of therespective timing belts 37 a and 37 b are coupled via coupling members42 a and 42 b to respective ends of the other interlocking rod-shapedbody 32 b. With the thus configured Y-direction drive means 36, the pairof interlocking rod-shaped bodies 32 a and 32 b can be moved closer toeach other in the Y direction by driving both timing belts 37 a and 37 bto rotate forward by the motor 40 and the pair of interlockingrod-shaped bodies 32 a and 32 b can be moved away from each other in theY direction by driving both timing belts 37 a and 37 b to rotate inreverse by the motor 40. When the pair of interlocking rod-shaped bodies32 a and 32 b move closer to each other, the Y-direction pair ofsecondary movable bases 30 a and 30 b supported on the main movable base21 a move closer to each other and, at the same time, the Y-directionpair of secondary movable bases 31 a and 31 b supported on the mainmovable base 21 b move closer to each other. Oppositely, when the pairof interlocking rod-shaped bodies 32 a and 32 b move away from eachother, the Y-direction pair of secondary movable bases 30 a and 30 bsupported on the main movable base 21 a move away from each other and,at the same time, the Y-direction pair of secondary movable bases 31 aand 31 b supported on the main movable base 21 b move away from eachother. In either case, an interval between the X-direction pair ofsecondary movable bases 30 a and 31 b that are interlocked with theinterlocking rod-shaped body 32 a and an interval between theX-direction pair of secondary movable bases 30 b and 31 a that areinterlocked with the interlocking rod-shaped body 32 b are respectivelymaintained in a state of being equal to an interval between the mainmovable bases 21 a and 21 b.

As shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11B, supporting members 43 a, 43 b, 44 a,and 44 b of inverted-L-shapes extending downward at X-direction innersides are respectively mounted to the four secondary movable bases 30 a,30 b, 31 a, and 31 b, and gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 bare respectively mounted to inner sides of vertical portions of therespective supporting members 43 a to 44 b. Each of the grippingraising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b is constituted of a rod-shapedmember that is long in a vertical direction and includes a fittingportion 47 having an angle-shaped transverse section over an entirevertical direction length. As shown in FIG. 23, the fitting portions 47are disposed in orientations enabling fitting respectively to fourcorners of a container C to be conveyed, and have anti-slip strip bodies48 attached, so as to extend continuously over the entire length, toouter side edges of right-angled inner side surfaces facing thecontainer C. For each of the gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46b, a raising/lowering guide rail 49, which is continuous over an entirelength, is attached to an outer side of an X-direction plate portionparallel to the X direction, and slide blocks 50, fitted to theraising/lowering guide rails 49 and supporting the respective grippingraising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b so as to be capable of being raisedand lowered, are attached to the inner sides of the vertical portions ofthe respective supporting members 43 a to 44 b.

As shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 18, upper end portions of the grippingraising/lowering bodies 45 a and 45 b that are aligned in parallel inthe Y direction are coupled by a coupling means 51A in a manner enablingmoving close to and away from each other in the Y direction, and upperend portions of the gripping raising/lowering bodies 46 a and 46 b thatare aligned in parallel in the Y direction are coupled by a couplingmeans 51B in a manner enabling moving close to and away from each otherin the Y direction. The two coupling means 51A and 51B are of mutuallypoint symmetrical structure in a planar view, slide guide rails 53 and54 are attached in parallel to the Y direction to an upper side surfaceand an inner side surface of each square columnar member 52 that is longin the Y direction, L-shaped support plates 55, supporting upper ends ofthe gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a and 46 a, are mounted to slideblocks 53 a fitted to the upper-side slide guide rails 53, and supportplates 56, supporting upper ends of the gripping raising/lowering bodies45 b and 46 b, are mounted to slide blocks 54 a fitted to the inner-sideslide guide rails 54.

The upper ends of the gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a and 46 a andthe L-shaped support plates 55 are coupled, at upper end inner sides ofY-direction plate portions parallel to the Y direction of the grippingraising/lowering bodies 45 a and 46 a and outer end portions of verticalplate portions 55 a of the L-shaped support plates 55, by pivot shafts55 b parallel to the X direction that are adjacent to inner sides of theX-direction plate portions of the gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 aand 46 a. The upper ends of the gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 band 46 b and the support plates 56 are coupled, at upper end inner sidesof Y-direction plate portions of the gripping raising/lowering bodies 45b and 46 b and outer end portions of the support plates 56, by pivotshafts 56 a parallel to the X direction that are adjacent to inner sidesof the X-direction plate portions of the gripping raising/loweringbodies 45 b and 46 b. A configuration is thus provided where, as shownin FIG. 15, when the Y-direction pair of gripping raising/loweringbodies 45 a and 45 b move closer to each other in the Y direction andthe Y-direction pair of gripping raising/lowering bodies 46 a and 46 bmove closer to each other in the Y direction, the support plates 56supporting the gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 b and 46 b and theslide blocks 54 a supporting these plates enter inner sides of thevertical plate portions 55 a of the L-shaped support plates 55supporting the gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a and 46 a to enablethe Y-direction pair of gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a and 45 bto approach each other to a state of being disposed further inward thanrespective Y-direction ends of the square columnar member 52 in a planarview and the Y-direction pair of gripping raising/lowering bodies 46 aand 46 b to approach each other to a state of being disposed furtherinward than the respective Y-direction ends of the square columnarmember 52 in a planar view.

By the above configuration, one Y-direction pair of grippingraising/lowering bodies 45 a and 45 b and the coupling means 51Apositioned between the upper end portions thereof are made capable ofbeing raised and lowered integrally with respect to the supportingmembers 43 a and 43 b (secondary movable bases 30 a and 30 b) supportingthe gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a and 45 b, and the otherY-direction pair of gripping raising/lowering bodies 46 a and 46 b andthe coupling means 51B positioned between the upper end portions thereofare made capable of being raised and lowered integrally with respect tothe supporting members 44 a and 44 b (secondary movable bases 31 a and31 b) supporting the gripping raising/lowering bodies 46 a and 46 b.

As shown in FIG. 9, a raising/lowering drive means 57A that drives theraising and lowering of the gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a and 45b and the coupling means 51A is mounted to a lower side central portionof the main movable base 21 a, and a raising/lowering drive means 57Bthat drives the raising and lowering of the gripping raising/loweringbodies 46 a and 46 b and the coupling means 51B is mounted to a lowerside central portion of the main movable base 21 b. The tworaising/lowering drive means 57A and 57B are of mutually pointsymmetrical structure in the planar view shown in FIG. 9, and as shownin FIG. 9, FIG. 11B, FIG. 13, and FIG. 14, each includes a Y-directionpair of a main support plate 58 a and a secondary support plate 58 b, aY-direction pair of drive pulleys 60 a and 60 b that are pivotallysupported by a common drive shaft 59 between both main and secondarysupport plates 58 a and 58 b, a brake-equipped motor 61 supported by themain support plate 58 a and interlockingly coupled to the drive pulleys60 a and 60 b via the common drive shaft 59 and a transmission belt 59a, a pair of upper and lower guide pulleys 62 a and 62 b pivotallysupported by each of the secondary support plate 58 b and positionedabove and below an inner side of the drive pulley 60 a, a pair of upperand lower guide pulleys 63 a and 63 b pivotally supported by the mainsupport plate 58 a and positioned above and below an inner side of thedrive pulley 60 b, and a Y-direction pair of raising/lowering drivingtiming belts 64 a and 64 b.

As shown in FIG. 23, a lifting raising/lowering body 65A is providedbetween the gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a and 45 b that arealigned in parallel in the Y direction and a lifting raising/loweringbody 65B is provided between the gripping raising/lowering bodies 46 aand 46 b that are aligned in the Y direction. The respective liftingraising/lowering bodies 65A and 65B are of mutually symmetricalstructure in the X direction, and as shown in FIG. 18, each isconstituted from a vertical rod-shaped main body 66 having a lengthsubstantially equivalent to that of the gripping raising/lowering bodies45 a to 46 b and two upper- and lower-stage support units 67 a and 67 bmounted to the vertical rod-shaped main body 66. The vertical rod-shapedmain body 66 has its upper end portion coupled via mounting plates 66 ato a center position of Y-direction length of the square columnar member52 of the corresponding coupling means 51A or 51B and has a beltcoupling plate 68 of flat plate shape long in the Y direction mounted inan inverted T shape to its lower end.

The raising/lowering driving timing belts 64 a and 64 b of each of theraising/lowering drive means 57A and 57B are positioned symmetrically atrespective sides in the Y direction of the vertical rod-shaped main body66 of the corresponding lifting raising/lowering body 65A or 65B, haveone ends thereof respectively coupled via belt mounting members 69 toouter side surfaces of respective end portions of the Y direction lengthof the square columnar member 52, have other ends thereof respectivelycoupled via belt mounting members 70 to upper sides of respective endportions of Y direction length of the belt coupling plate 68, and, asshown in FIG. 16, with each of the raising/lowering drive means 57A and57B, an intermediate portion of the raising/lowering driving timing belt64 a is wound around the drive pulley 60 a via the pair of upper andlower guide pulleys 62 a and 62 b and an intermediate portion of theraising/lowering driving timing belt 64 b is wound around the drivepulley 60 b via the pair of upper and lower guide pulleys 63 a and 63 b.Portions of the raising/lowering driving timing belt 64 a between theupper end and the guide pulley 62 a and between the lower end and theguide pulley 62 b and portions of the raising/lowering driving timingbelt 64 b between the upper end and the guide pulley 63 a and betweenthe lower end and the guide pulley 63 b are stretched without loosenessin parallel to the gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b (thevertical rod-shaped main bodies 66).

With the respective raising/lowering drive means 57A and 57B configuredas described above, when the brake-equipped motors 61 of bothraising/lowering drive means 57A and 57B are not in operation (when thedrive pulleys 60 a and 60 b are in a braked state), all of the grippingraising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b and the vertical rod-shaped mainbodies 66 of the lifting raising/lowering bodies 65A and 65B are put instates of being locked so as to be unable to be raised or lowered andare stopped at heights at that point. When the brake-equipped motors 61of both raising/lowering drive means 57A and 57B are put in synchronousoperation to perform synchronous driving of the respectiveraising/lowering driving timing belts 64 a and 64 b in directions ofpulling up the lower ends via the drive pulleys 60 a and 60 b, all ofthe gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b and the verticalrod-shaped main bodies 66 of the lifting raising/lowering bodies 65A and65B are moved upward integrally at a fixed speed against gravity, andoppositely when driving in directions of pulling down the upper ends isperformed, all of the gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b andthe vertical rod-shaped main bodies 66 of the lifting raising/loweringbodies 65A and 65B are moved downward integrally at a fixed speed due togravity.

All of the support units 67 a and 67 b included in the liftingraising/lowering bodies 65A and 65B are of the same structure and, asshown in FIG. 18, FIG. 21, and FIG. 22, each is supported on thecorresponding vertical rod-shaped main body 66 so as to be capable ofbeing raised and lowered via a slide guide rail 71 attached to an innerside of the vertical rod-shaped main body 66 so as to be continuous overan entire length and two upper and lower slide blocks 71 a fitted to theslide guide rail 71 so as to be capable of being raised and lowered,with the upper-side support unit 67 a being received and retained by apair of receiving members 72 attached at an intermediate height to therespective sides in the Y direction of the vertical rod-shaped main body66 and the lower-side support unit 67 b being received and retained bythe belt coupling plate 68 at the lower end of the vertical rod-shapedmain body 66.

Each of the support units 67 a and 67 b includes a longitudinally longhollow casing 75. The casing 75 includes a base plate 73, positioned atthe inner side of the vertical rod-shaped main body 66 and being ofwidth such that it juts out to both sides in the Y direction of thevertical rod-shaped main body 66, and back plates 74 a and 74 b,disposed at the respective sides in the Y direction of the verticalrod-shaped main body 66 at a rear side of the base plate 73, and theslide blocks 71 a are mounted to the rear side of the base plate 73 andbetween the back plates 74 a and 74 b. Also, the casing 75 includes aplurality of pin-shaped supporting implements 76 a and 76 b supported bythe base plate 73 and the back plates 74 a and 74 b and being extendableand retractable in the X direction with respect to the base plate 73.Each of the pin-shaped supporting implements 76 a and 76 b is impelledin a direction of protruding toward an inner side from the base plate 73by an extension coil spring 78 loosely fitted to each of the pin-shapedsupporting implements 76 a and 76 b inside the casing 75 and between theback plate 74 a or 74 b and a flange portion 77 possessed by each of thepin-shaped supporting implements 76 a and 76 b, and the flange portion77 is thereby held at a protrusion limit position of contacting the baseplate 73. With the respective pin-shaped supporting implements 76 a and76 b, pairs of pin-shaped supporting implements 76 a disposed across anarrow interval and symmetrically in the Y direction with respect to avertical direction center line (center line between the two grippingraising/lowering bodies 45 a and 45 b or 46 a and 46 b aligned inparallel in the Y direction) of the vertical rod-shaped main body 66when viewed from the X direction and pairs of pin-shaped supportingimplements 76 b disposed across a broad interval and symmetrically inthe Y direction with respect to the center line are aligned alternatelyat vertical direction intervals such that the respective pin-shapedsupporting implements 76 a and 76 b overlap mutually partially in thevertical direction when viewed from the Y direction.

The vertical rod-shaped main body 66 of each of the liftingraising/lowering bodies 65A and 65B has a slide guide rail 79 attached,so as to be continuous over an entire length, to an outer side oppositethe inner side at which the support units 67 a and 67 b are supported,and slide blocks 80 a or 80 b, fitted to the slide guide rail 79 andsupporting each vertical rod-shaped main body 66 so as to be capable ofbeing raised and lowered, are mounted to an inner side edge of avertical supporting member 80 c or 80 d, an upper end of which is joinedto a bottom surface of the main movable base 21 a or 21 b. The verticalrod-shaped main body 66 of each of the lifting raising/lowering bodies65A and 65B is thus supported by the main movable base 21 a or 21 b soas to be capable of being raised and lowered just at a center positionbetween the two gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a and 45 b or 46 aand 46 b aligned in parallel in the Y direction, and in regard to theraising and lowering, the two gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a and45 b aligned in parallel in the Y direction and the vertical rod-shapedmain body 66 of the lifting raising/lowering body 65A at an intermediateposition thereof undergo raising and lowering motions integrally and thetwo gripping raising/lowering bodies 46 a and 46 b aligned in parallelin the Y direction and the vertical rod-shaped main body 66 of thelifting raising/lowering body 65B at an intermediate position thereofundergo raising and lowering motions integrally.

As shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 20, among the gripping raising/loweringbodies 45 a to 46 b, the two gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a and46 b aligned in parallel in the X direction have interposed therebetweena parallelogram link mechanism 81A for allowing just parallel movementof the two bodies in the X direction and the two grippingraising/lowering bodies 45 b and 46 a aligned in parallel in the Xdirection have interposed therebetween a parallelogram link mechanism81B for allowing just parallel movement of the two bodies in the Xdirection. The parallelogram link mechanisms 81A and 81B are of the samestructure mutually and each is constituted of a central raising/loweringlink member 82, a pair of upper and lower rocking parallel links 83 aand 83 b that are interposed between the central raising/lowering linkmember 82 and the gripping raising/lowering body 45 a or 46 a at oneside, and a pair of upper and lower rocking parallel links 84 a and 84 bthat are interposed between the central raising/lowering link member 82and the gripping raising/lowering body 45 b or 46 b at the other side.Each upper-side rocking parallel link 83 a is pivotally supported ateach of an upper end of the central raising/lowering link member 82 anda higher position at the outer side of the X-direction plate portion ofthe gripping raising/lowering body 45 a or 46 a, each upper-side rockingparallel link 84 a is pivotally supported at each of the upper end ofthe central raising/lowering link member 82 and a higher position at theouter side of the X-direction plate portion of the grippingraising/lowering body 46 b or 45 b, each lower-side rocking parallellink 83 b is pivotally supported at each of a lower end of the centralraising/lowering link member 82 and the outer side of the X-directionplate portion of the gripping raising/lowering body 45 a or 46 a so asto be parallel to the rocking parallel link 83 a positioned directlyabove, and each lower-side rocking parallel link 84 b is pivotallysupported at each of the lower end of the central raising/lowering linkmember 82 and the outer side of the X-direction plate portion of thegripping raising/lowering body 46 b or 45 b so as to be parallel to therocking parallel link 84 a positioned directly above to provide aconfiguration where in a situation where an interval between the twogripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a and 46 b aligned in parallel inthe X direction and an interval between the two grippingraising/lowering bodies 45 a and 46 b aligned in parallel in the Xdirection are spread maximally, the rocking parallel links 83 a to 84 bare inclined obliquely upward with respect to each centralraising/lowering link 82 as shown in FIG. 16.

As shown in FIG. 18 and FIG. 20, among the gripping raising/loweringbodies 45 a to 46 b, the two gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a and45 b aligned in parallel in the Y direction have interposed therebetweena parallelogram link mechanism 85A for allowing just parallel movementof the two bodies in the Y direction and the two grippingraising/lowering bodies 46 a and 46 b aligned in parallel in the Ydirection have interposed therebetween a parallelogram link mechanism85B for allowing just parallel movement of the two in the Y direction.Both parallelogram link mechanisms 85A and 85B are of the same structuremutually and each includes two upper- and lower-stage raising/loweringlink units 86 and 87. Each upper-side raising/lowering link unit 86 isdisposed higher than the upper-side support unit 67 a at thecorresponding lifting raising/lowering body 65A or 65B, and thelower-side raising/lowering link unit 87 is disposed at an intermediateposition between the respective upper and lower support units 67 a and67 b at the corresponding lifting raising/lowering bodies 65A or 65B.

The two upper- and lower-stage raising/lowering link units 86 and 87 areof the same structure mutually and each is constituted of a centralraising/lowering link member 88, which is supported, so as to be capableof being raised and lowered, via two upper and lower slide blocks 88 aby the slide guide rail 71 at the inner side of the vertical rod-shapedmain body 66 of the corresponding lifting raising/lowering body 65A or65B, a pair of upper and lower rocking parallel links 89 a and 89 b thatare interposed between the central raising/lowering link member 88 andthe gripping raising/lowering body 45 a or 46 a at one side, and a pairof upper and lower rocking parallel links 90 a and 90 b that areinterposed between the central raising/lowering link member 88 and thegripping raising/lowering body 45 b or 46 b at the other side. Eachupper-side rocking parallel link 89 a is pivotally supported at each ofan upper end of the central raising/lowering link member 88 and a higherposition at an outer side of the Y-direction plate portion of thegripping raising/lowering body 45 a or 46 a, each upper-side rockingparallel link 90 a is pivotally supported at each of the upper end ofthe central raising/lowering link member 88 and a higher position at theouter side of the Y-direction plate portion of the grippingraising/lowering body 46 b or 45 b, each lower-side rocking parallellink 89 b is pivotally supported at each of a lower end of the centralraising/lowering link member 88 and the outer side of the Y-directionplate portion of the gripping raising/lowering body 45 a or 46 a so asto be parallel to the rocking parallel link 89 a positioned directlyabove, and each lower-side rocking parallel link 90 b is pivotallysupported at each of the lower end of the central raising/lowering linkmember 88 and the outer side of the Y-direction plate portion of thegripping raising/lowering body 46 b or 45 b so as to be parallel to therocking parallel link 90 a positioned directly above to provide aconfiguration where, as shown in FIG. 18, in a situation where aninterval between the gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a and 45 b andan interval between the gripping raising/lowering bodies 46 a and 46 bare spread maximally, the rocking parallel links 89 a to 90 b areinclined obliquely upward with respect to each central raising/loweringlink 88. As a matter of course, in the situation where the intervalbetween the gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a and 45 b and theinterval between the gripping raising/lowering bodies 46 a and 46 b arespread maximally, each central raising/lowering link member 88 isdisposed at a position separated furthest upward from the support unit67 a or 67 b positioned therebelow of the corresponding liftingraising/lowering 65A or 65B.

To now describe a method of use and actions, containers C are placed inan orientation where respective side edges thereof are parallel to the Xdirection and the Y direction in a planar view in the storage area ofrectangular planar shape surrounded by the rectangular frame structure4. In this process, spaces for raising and lowering the grippingraising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b and the lifting raising/loweringbodies 65A and 65B included in the conveyance apparatus 1 are securedbetween mutually adjacent containers C. Also, although it is possible toplace a single container C independently inside the storage area, inmost cases, a plurality of containers C of the same size in a planarview are stacked. As a matter of course, in regard to the size in aplanar view, containers C of various sizes within a set range of minimumsize and maximum size are handled. As shown in FIG. 20 and FIG. 23,together with container size information, stacking information, andother necessary information, position information of each container Cplaced inside the storage area is recorded as absolute X-Y coordinatevalues on the storage area of a center position P in a planar view ofthe container C in a recording means included in a control unit forautomatic operation of the conveyance apparatus 1.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 23 to FIG. 25, each of allcontainers C handled in the present storage facility includesreinforcing flange portions F1 to F3 jutting out continuously across anentire periphery at three positions of a highest end, a positiondirectly below the highest end, and a lowest end, and includes a legwall portion B at a bottom surface. Therefore, when the containers C ofthe same planar size are stacked, a leg wall portion B of an upper-sidecontainer C fits inside an opening portion of a lower-side container Cto prevent positional shifting of both the upper and lower containers Cand, at the same time, the lowest end flange portion F3 of theupper-side container C overlaps onto the highest end flange portion F1of the lower-side container C. In the present invention, the two upperand lower flange portions F1 and F2 at an upper side of each container Cis utilized as protruding portions with which the pin-shaped supportingimplements 76 a and 76 b of the respective support units 67 a and 67 bof the lifting raising/lowering bodies 65A and 65B engage when liftingthe container C.

As shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 20A, the gripping raising/lowering bodies45 a to 46 b and the lifting raising/lowering bodies 65A and 65Bincluded in the conveyance apparatus 1 are, in a planar view, positionedat standby home positions, located further outward than a maximum planarview size of a container C that can be handled, within a quadrilateralvertical-direction through opening portion surrounded by the X-directionpair of main movable bases 21 a and 21 b and the Y-direction pair ofinterlocking rod-shaped bodies 32 a and 32 b, and, in side view, put onstandby at raising limit heights higher than a maximum containerstacking height inside the storage area. From this state, by moving theX-direction pair of main movable bases 21 a and 21 b closer to eachother synchronously in the X direction by putting the motor 26 of theX-direction drive means 22 into operation as described above and movingthe Y-direction pair of secondary movable bases 30 a and 30 b and theY-direction pair of secondary movable bases 31 a and 31 b on therespective main movable bases 21 a and 21 b closer to each othersynchronously in the Y direction by putting the motor 40 of theY-direction drive means 36 into operation, the right-angledparallelogram surrounded by the four gripping raising/lowering bodies 45a to 46 b is shrunk as shown in FIG. 10, and oppositely by moving theX-direction pair of main movable bases 21 a and 21 b away from eachother synchronously in the X direction and moving the Y-direction pairof secondary movable bases 30 a and 30 b and the Y-direction pair ofsecondary movable bases 31 a and 31 b away from each other synchronouslyin the Y direction, the gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 band the lifting raising/lowering bodies 65A and 65B are returned to thestandby home positions shown in FIG. 20A. The lifting raising/loweringbodies 65A and 65B are always positioned at the respective centerpositions between the Y-direction pair of gripping raising/loweringbodies 45 a and 45 b and between the Y-direction pair of grippingraising/lowering bodies 46 a and 46 b.

That is, the X-direction drive means 22 moves the four grippingraising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b, mutually symmetrically and insynchronization, closer to and away from a Y-direction center line YL,among an X-direction center line XL and the Y-direction center line YLpassing through the center position of the right-angled parallelogramsurrounded by the four gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b andparallel to respective side edges of the right-angled parallelogram, theY-direction drive means 36 moves the four gripping raising/loweringbodies 45 a to 46 b, mutually symmetrically and in synchronization,closer to and away from the X-direction center line XL, and aconfiguration is thus provided where the four gripping raising/loweringbodies 45 a to 46 b can be moved horizontally in synchronization by boththe X- and Y-direction drive means 22 and 36 so as to enlarge or shrinkthe right-angled parallelogram surrounded by the four grippingraising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b without changing the centerposition and the orientation of the right-angled parallelogram.

To retrieve a container C placed and stored at a specific positioninside the storage area, automatic operation of the conveyance apparatus1 is performed in accordance with the position information of thecontainer C to be retrieved to laterally move the main traveling body 2in the Y direction and laterally move the secondary traveling body 3 onthe main traveling body 2 in the X direction so that a center of theright-angled parallelogram surrounded by the gripping raising/loweringbodies 45 a to 46 b, on standby at the standby home positions on thesecondary traveling body 3, is moved to a position (retrieval operationstarting position) at which it matches the center position P of thecontainer C to be retrieved in a planar view. When the grippingraising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b, on standby at the standby homepositions, have been positioned at the retrieval operation startingposition, which is a prescribed position directly above the container Cto be retrieved, both the X- and Y-direction drive means 22 and 36 areput in operation to move the respective gripping raising/lowering bodies45 a to 46 b closer to each other in synchronization to positions(lowering starting positions) corresponding to respective corners of aright-angled parallelogram that is larger by just prescribed dimensionsthan a planar size of the container C to be retrieved. The presentprocess of moving the gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b, onstandby at the standby home positions, closer to each other insynchronization to the lowering starting positions may be performedoverlappingly with the process of moving the gripping raising/loweringbodies 45 a to 46 b, on standby at the standby home positions on thesecondary traveling body 3, in both the X and Y directions to theretrieval operation starting position.

When, at the retrieval operation starting position, the grippingraising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b have been moved to the loweringstarting positions, the raising/lowering drive means 57A and 57B are putin operation to move the gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 band the vertical rod-shaped main bodies 66 of the liftingraising/lowering bodies 65A and 65B downward integrally and insynchronization to a lowering limit level at which the belt couplingplates 68 of the vertical rod-shaped main bodies 66 are put in closeproximity to the floor surface of the storage area. Next, both the X-and Y-direction drive means 22 and 36 are put in operation to move therespective gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b, at positionsseparated by just equal distances from the four corners of the containerC to be retrieved (the four corners of the respective flange portions F1to F3), in synchronization closer toward the center position P of thecontainer C to be retrieved to thereby fit the fitting portions 47 ofthe respective gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b to therespective corners of the container C to be retrieved and put theanti-slip strip bodies 48 at the respective right-angled side edges ofthe respective fitting portions 47 in press contact with the respectivecorners of the container C to be retrieved as shown in FIG. 23.

Although points of action of moving the gripping raising/lowering bodies45 a to 46 b inward in the X direction and the Y direction in thisprocess are the positions of the slide blocks 50 at the supportingmember 43 a to 44 b sides with respect to the raising/lowering guiderails 49 attached to the gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 band when the container C on the floor surface of the storage area isbeing gripped, the gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b are incantilevered states of extending long downward from the positions of theslide blocks 50, which are at the supporting member 43 a to 44 b sidesand are the points of action, the four gripping raising/lowering bodies45 a to 46 b are coupled to each other in the X direction and theY-direction by the parallelogram link mechanisms 81A and 81B and theparallelogram link mechanisms 85A and 85B, respectively, so that theparallelogram link mechanisms 81A, 81B, 85A, 85B hold the grippingraising/lowering bodies 45 a, 45 b, 46 a, 46 b that are aligned inparallel in the X direction and Y direction in the mutually parallelorientations and, at the same time, gravity acting on the centralraising/lowering link members 82 and the central raising/lowering linkmembers 88 at the centers of the link mechanisms impel the grippingraising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b in directions of moving closer toeach other in the X direction and the Y direction via the respectiverocking parallel links 83 a to 84 b and 89 a to 90 b, and therefore therespective corners of stacked containers C can be gripped reliably bythe four gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b.

In this process, the vertical rod-shaped main bodies 66 of the liftingraising/lowering bodies 65A and 65B move rectilinearly in the Xdirection and closer toward a width-direction center position of twoside surfaces, parallel to the Y direction, of the container C to beretrieved, and due to the two upper- and lower-stage support units 67 aand 67 b supported by the vertical rod-shaped main bodies 66 being ofstructures such that, in a planar view as shown in FIG. 23, thepin-shaped supporting implements 76 a and 76 b protrude further inwardthan X-direction contacting surfaces (surfaces of the anti-slip stripbodies 48) of the gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a and 45 b and thegripping raising/lowering bodies 46 a and 46 b at the respective sidesin the Y direction, in the process in which the fitting portions 47 ofthe gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b fit onto therespective corners of the container C to be retrieved as describedabove, each pin-shaped supporting implement, which, among the pin-shapedsupporting implements 76 a and 76 b included in the two upper- andlower-stage support units 67 a and 67 b, is at a position where even aportion of a distal end surface thereof contacts an outer side surfaceof the container C to be retrieved, that is, a peripheral side surfaceof any of the respective flange portions F1 to F3, is received andretained by the peripheral side surface of the corresponding flangeportion among the respective flange portions F1 to F3 and is thusretracted relatively into the casing 75 against an impelling force ofthe extension coil spring 78 while pin-shaped supporting implementsbesides the above are inserted both above and underneath the respectiveflange portions F1 to F3 in protruded states in accordance with themovements of the support units 67 a and 67 b.

In the example shown in FIG. 24 and FIG. 25, among the stackedcontainers C to be retrieved, a container C1 at a lowest stage and acontainer C2 immediately thereabove are adjacent to the lower-sidesupport units 67 b and two upper- and lower-stage containers Cu and Cdpositioned at intermediate heights are adjacent to the upper-sidesupport units 67 a, and among the pin-shaped supporting implements 76 aand 76 b in the two upper- and lower-stage support units 67 a and 67 b,the several pin-shaped supporting implements 76 a and 76 b, which willface the vertically overlapped flange portions F3 and F1, between thetwo upper- and lower-stage containers C1 and C2 and between the twoupper- and lower-stage containers Cu and Cd adjacent to the respectivesupport units 67 a and 67 b, and the second-stage flange portions F2 ofthe lower-side containers C1 and Cd, will be retracted relatively intothe casings 75 against the impelling forces of the extension coilsprings 78 and the other pin-shaped supporting implements 76 a and 76 bwill be inserted between the respective upper and lower flange portionsF1 and F2 and between the respective upper and lower flange portions F2and F3 of the respective containers C1, C2, Cu, and C2 while remainingin the protruded states (state shown in the left half of FIG. 24).

Next, when the raising/lowering drive means 57A and 57B are put inoperation and the gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b and thevertical rod-shaped main bodies 66 of the lifting raising/loweringbodies 65A and 65B that are at the lowering limit level are moved upwardin synchronization to a raising limit level, the pin-shaped supportingimplements, which, among the pin-shaped supporting implements 76 a and76 b of the support units 67 a and 67 b, are positioned in protrudingstates directly below the two upper and lower flange portions F1 and F2at the upper sides of the respective containers C, that is, in theexample of FIG. 25, the inner-side pairs of right and left pin-shapedsupporting implements 76 a indicated in solid black lift up thelowest-stage container C1 and the container Cd of intermediate heightvia the flange portions F1 and F2 of each by the raising of the supportunits 67 a and 67 b in states of being supported by the lower-end beltcoupling plates 68 and the intermediate-height receiving members 72 ofthe vertical rod-shaped main bodies 66. As a matter of course, dependingon an interval between the two upper and lower flange portions F1 andF2, an interval between the flange portions F2 and F3, or thicknesses ofthe flange portions F1 and F2, the lowest-stage container C1 and theintermediate-height container Cd may be lifted up via just one of eitherof the flange portions F1 and F2 by inner-side pairs of right and leftpin-shaped supporting implements 76 a or outer-side pairs of right andleft pin-shaped supporting implements 76 b among the pin-shapedsupporting implements 76 a and 76 b.

As is clear from the above description, when, as mentioned above, thecontainer Cd that is lifted up by the upper-side support units 67 a ispresent, the stacked containers are divided into an upper-side stackedcontainer group having the container Cd as a lowest end and a lower-sidestacked container group having the container directly below thecontainer Cd as a highest end, the upper-side stacked container group islifted up via the lowest-end container C by the upper-side support units67 a and the lower-side stacked container group is lifted up via thelowest-end container C1 by the lower-side support units 67 b. Obviouslywhen the number of stages of stacked containers C is low and thecontainer Cd that is lifted up by the upper-side support units 67 a asmentioned above is not present, the stacked containers C will be liftedup via the lowest-stage container C1 by the lower-side support units 67b.

The containers C to be retrieved are lifted vertically upward from thefloor surface of the storage area by the X-direction pair of liftingraising/lowering bodies 65A and 65B as described above, and in thisprocess, the respective fitting portions 47 of the four grippingraising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b that rise integrally with thelifting raising/lowering bodies 65A and 65B fit onto and grip the fourcorners of the containers C to be retrieved, and therefore an entiretyof the containers C to be retrieved is held in a vertically stackedorientation and tilting of the entirety of the stacked containers C in alateral direction is prevented.

When the containers C to be retrieved that are positioned by the fourgripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b and supported by theX-direction pair of lifting raising/lowering bodies 65A and 65B havebeen raised to the raising limit level, the main traveling body 2 ismoved laterally in Y direction and the secondary traveling body 3 ismoved laterally in the X direction on the main traveling body 2 byautomatic operation of the conveyance apparatus 1 so that the containersC to be retrieved are horizontally conveyed at a level higher than amaximum height of the containers C stored in stacked states inside thestorage area to a position directly above the transferring end portion 7a of the retrieval conveyor 7. When the containers C to be retrievedthat are positioned by the four gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a to46 b and supported by the X-direction pair of lifting raising/loweringbodies 65A and 65B have been raised to the raising limit level, thecontainers C are in a state of penetrating through the secondarytraveling body 3 in the vertical direction at the quadrilateral verticaldirection through opening portion surrounded by the X-direction pair ofmain movable bases 21 a and 21 b and the Y-direction pair ofinterlocking rod-shaped bodies 32 a and 32 b.

Thereafter, by actuating the four gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 ato 46 b and the X-direction pair of lifting raising/lowering bodies 65Aand 65B by procedures directly reverse those of the operation of liftingup the containers C to be retrieved from the floor surface of thestorage area, the containers C to be retrieved that are positioned bythe four gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b and supported bythe X-direction pair of lifting raising/lowering bodies 65A and 65B canbe lowered onto the transferring end portion 7 a of the retrievalconveyor 7. Also, to store a container to be stored, which has beenconveyed in by the storage conveyor 6 to the transferring end portion 6a, at an available space inside the storage area, the container to bestored that is positioned on the transferring end portion 6 a of thestorage conveyor 6 is lifted up by the four gripping raising/loweringbodies 45 a to 46 b and the X-direction pair of lifting raising/loweringbodies 65A and 65B to the raising limit level by the same procedures aswhen lifting up the containers C to be retrieved from the floor surfaceof the storage area, and thereafter conveyed to the storage targetposition by automatic operation of the conveyance apparatus 1 andthereafter the container to be stored is lowered onto the storage targetavailable space by the same procedures as when lowering the containers Cto be retrieved onto the transferring end portion 7 a of the retrievalconveyor 7.

With the storage facility described above, a single container or anentirety of a plurality of containers in a stacked state can beretrieved by conveying from a specific position on the storage area tothe transferring end portion 7 a of the retrieval conveyor 7 or storedby conveying from the transferring end portion 6 a of the storageconveyor 6 to an available space on the storage area, and as anothercontainer storage/retrieval method, an individual retrieval method ofretrieving just a specific container C among stacked containers, anindividual storage method of storing just a specific container C amongstacked containers positioned on the transferring end portion 6 a of thestorage conveyor 6, or a method of stacking and storing a container tobe stored on another container of the same planar size stored inside thestorage area, etc., may be implemented.

In an individual storage/retrieval method, the four grippingraising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b and the X-direction pair of liftingraising/lowering bodies 65A and 65B are lowered, with respect to stackedcontainers C that include a container to be stored or retrievedindividually, close to a bottom surface level of the container to bestored or retrieved individually and thereafter made to perform thecontainer lift-up operation described above. Consequently, stackedcontainers C in a state where the container to be stored or retrievedindividually is positioned at the lowest end can be raised to theraising limit level, and therefore thereafter, the stacked containers Care conveyed horizontally to a position directly above a targetedlowering position (the transferring end portion 7 a of the retrievalconveyor 7 or an available space on the storage area or a container ofthe same planar size stored in the storage area) and the stackedcontainers C are lowered to the targeted lowering position. Thereafter,the four gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b and theX-direction pair of lifting raising/lowering bodies 65A and 65B that arereleased laterally to the sides from the stacked containers C are notraised to the raising limit level but are made to perform an operationof lifting up, from among the lowered stacked containers C, allcontainers besides the container to be stored or retrieved individuallythat are stacked above the lowest-end container, which is the containerto be stored or retrieved individually. Consequently, just the containerto be stored or retrieved individually is left at the targeted loweringposition and the storage/retrieval operation of the container to bestored or retrieved individually is completed. The containers C, whichare not to be stored or retrieved individually and have been lifted upleaving the container to be stored or retrieved individually, may beconveyed to and lowered at the original location or a new location bythe same procedures described above.

In lowering a single container C or stacked containers C to be stored orretrieved, which is or are positioned by the four grippingraising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b and supported by the X-directionpair of lifting raising/lowering bodies 65A and 65B, at a targetlocation as described above, by controlling the raising/lowering drivemeans 57A and 57B so that after the container or containers C to bestored or retrieved is received and retained at the target location, thesupport units 67 a and 67 b are lowered slightly and each of thepin-shaped supporting implements 76 a and 76 b supporting the flangeportion F1 or F2 of the container C to be stored or retrieved becomesslightly separated downward from the flange portion F1 or F2, excessivesliding contact between each of the flange portions F1 and F2 of thecontainer or containers C to be stored or retrieved and the pin-shapedsupporting implement 76 a or 76 b supporting it can be avoided whenmoving the four gripping raising/lowering bodies 45 a to 46 b and thelifting raising/lowering bodies 65A and 65B to separate outward from thecontainer or containers C to be stored or retrieved.

However, with the configuration described above, the support units 67 aand 67 b are just supported by gravity at fixed positions with respectto the vertical rod-shaped main bodies 66 of the liftingraising/lowering bodies 65A and 65B and can move freely upward againstgravity from the fixed positions, and thus even if the verticalrod-shaped main bodies 66 of the lifting raising/lowering bodies 65A and65B are in a situation of stopping at positions further lowered fromideal positions as mentioned above, the support units 67 a and 67 b aresupported by the container or containers C to be stored or retrieved viaeach of the pin-shaped supporting implements 76 a and 76 b that waspositioned at an upper side of the flange portion F1 or F2 of thecontainer C to be stored or retrieved and the vertical rod-shaped mainbodies 66 of the lifting raising/lowering bodies 65A and 65B are simplylowered relative to the support units 67 a and 67 b so that each of thepin-shaped supporting implements 76 a and 76 b that was positioned at anupper side of the flange portion F1 or F2 of the container C to bestored or retrieved will not press down on the flange portion F1 or F2from above.

The container raising/lowering conveyance apparatus according to thepresent invention can be utilized effectively for stacked containerstorage/retrieval operations in a storage facility for stackedcontainers of various sizes.

What is claimed is:
 1. A container raising/lowering conveyance apparatusincluding four gripping raising/lowering bodies capable of beingrespectively horizontally fitted to and detached from four corners of anarticle-conveyance container, characterized in having a configurationwhere central raising/lowering link members, capable of being raised andlowered, are disposed at central positions of respective edges of aright-angled parallelogram surrounded by the four grippingraising/lowering bodies in a planar view, and each of the centralraising/lowering link members and the gripping raising/lowering bodiesat both sides thereof are coupled to each other by at least one pair ofupper and lower rocking parallel links capable of rocking in thevertical direction.
 2. The container raising/lowering conveyanceapparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in a state where the grippingraising/lowering bodies at both sides coupled to the centralraising/lowering link members are separated furthest from each other,the rocking parallel links are inclined obliquely upward from thecorresponding central raising/lowering link members toward the grippingraising/lowering bodies at both sides.
 3. The container raising/loweringconveyance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a supportingstructure is provided with an X-direction pair of main movable bases,capable of moving closer to and away from each other in an X direction,among the X direction and a Y direction that are parallel to mutuallyperpendicular side edges of a right-angled parallelogram surrounded bythe four gripping raising/lowering bodies in a planar view, the mainmovable bases are provided respectively with Y-direction pairs ofsecondary movable bases capable of being moved closer to and away fromeach other in the Y direction, the four gripping raising/lowering bodiesare respectively and separately supported by the four secondary movablebases so as to be capable of being raised and lowered, the centralraising/lowering link members, positioned centrally between respectiveY-direction pairs of gripping raising/lowering bodies, are supported, soas to be capable of being raised and lowered, by vertical rod-shapedmain bodies which are supported by the respective main movable bases soas to be capable of being raised and lowered, upper end portions of thevertical rod-shaped main bodies and upper end portions of theY-direction pairs of gripping raising/lowering bodies at both sides ofthe vertical rod-shaped main bodies are coupled by coupling means, whichallow the Y-direction pairs of gripping raising/lowering bodies to bemoved closer to and away from each other in the Y direction, and therespective main movable bases are provided with raising/lowering drivemeans that drive the raising and lowering of the X-direction pair of thevertical rod-shaped main bodies supported by the respective main movablebases.